International Journal of Asian History Culture and Tradition Vol 3, No.2, pp. 21-29, August 2016 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) ASSESSMENTS OF PUBLIC’S PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR SATISFACTIONS TO THEIR PARTICIPATING ACTIVITIES ON THE LOTUS THROWING (RUB BUA) FESTIVAL TOWARD CULTURAL HERITAGE OF BANG PHLI COMMUNITIES IN THE 80TH IN 2015 “ONE OF THE WORLD: ONLY ONE OF THAILAND‖ Maj. Gen. Utid Kotthanoo, Prasit Thongsawai, Daranee Deprasert, and Thitirut Jaiboon Southeast Bangkok College, Bang Na, Bangkok, Thailand 10260 Tel: +66 (0)8 4327 1412 Fax: +66 2 398 1356 ABSTRACT: This research is reported an important of the favorite festivals in Thailand, which is the lotus throwing (Rap Bua) festival in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. This is basically what happens as countless thousands of local public line the banks of Samrong Canal to throw lotus flowers onto a boat carrying a replica of the famous Buddha image Luang Poh To. The aims of this research are to describe for assessing public’s perceptions of their participants who go to Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai which, for obvious reasons, has the best atmosphere, to compare between public’s perception of their gender of their satisfactions to the entire route from start to finish of the boat carrying the Buddha image wasn’t scheduled to pass the front of Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai toward their participated activities. Associations between public’s participating activities and their satisfied of the lotus throwing (Rap Bua) festival were assessed. Using the qualitative data with interview, observation, and participated memberships’ activities were designed. Internal consistency Cronbach alpha statistics were generated with the quantitative data from the 10-item Questionnaire on Satisfaction Inventory (QSI) was validated of 0.88. Statistically significant between public’s perceptions of their different gender; scale means scores for male’s and female’s perceptions of the participants of this festival were to investigate if QSI questionnaire had the ability to non-differentiate significantly. Associations were found between various measures of public’s participating Rab Bud festival to their satisfactions of their participants, the R2 value indicate that 58% of the variance in their satisfaction assessments also was found. These factors appear to be affecting public of 1,382 persons who were satisfied for predicting the 80th Lotus Throwing (Rab Bua) festival in the academic year B.E. 2558 for following celebrative event arrangement of Bang Phli cultural communities are managed. KEYWORD: Assessment, Bang Phli Cultural Communities, Lotus Throwing (Rab Bua) Festival, the Academic Year B.E. 2558, celebrative event arrangement INTRODUCTION Samut Prakan is a central economic province of Thailand whereas established by surrounding the four provinces which came into force in 1946. This province was created during the Ayuttaya period, with its administrative centre at Prapadaeng. It was the sea port of Siam, and was secured with forts, town moats, and town walls. Altogether six forts were built on both sides of the Chao Phraya River, and on an island in the river the Pagoda, Phra Samut Chedi, was erected that it’s located the mouth of the Chao Phraya River on the Gulf of Thailand. Thus the province is also sometimes called Pak Nam. The part of the province on the west 21 International Journal of Asian History Culture and Tradition Vol 3, No.2, pp. 21-29, August 2016 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) side of the river consists mostly of rice paddies and shrimp farms as well as mangrove forests, while the eastern part is the urban centre, including industrial factories. The urbanization on both sides of the provincial boundary is identical. The province has a coastline of approximately 47.2 kilometers in area of 1,004.092 square kilometers. Overall on population was contained of 1,261,530 (2015), the provincial slogan is “Marine Battle Fortresses, Chedi in the Water, Crocodile Farm, Exquisite Ancient City, Phra Pradaeng Songkran Festival, Tasty Dried Snakeskin Gourami, Rap Bua Festival, Industrial Estate‖. The province is subdivided into six districts. Focusing on an important district, Bang Phli itself is also a subdistrict municipality which covers parts of the tambon Bang Phli Yai, Bang Pla and Bang Chao Long subdistricts. Bang Bu 1. Mueang District 4. Prapradaeng 2. Bang Bor 5. Bang Soa Thong 3. Bang Phli 6. Pra Samut Jedee Erawan Elephant Museum Position of Sumut Prakarn SamRong Asokaram Temple Canal Ancient City Figure 1. Location and Places for Tourist in Samut Parkarn Bang Phli Cultural festival as composes with folk wisdom and cultural heritage that have been exchanged among public of different ethnic origins. Bang Phli is famous for the annual Lotus Flower (Rap Bua) festival, which takes venue on the last day of Vassa on the fourteenth day of the waxing moon in the eleventh lunar month, usually the full moon in October. A boat carrying a replica of the Luang Poh To Buddha statue from the temple Wat Bang Pli is moved along the main canal of the district. The public at the banks of the canal throw lotus flowers onto the boat, as donating lotus flowers to Buddha is merit-making. The barge processions of Luang Pho To at Wat Bang Phli Yai on Samrong Canal in the Rap Bua festival at the floating market using ships for at least 90 years and the first engine ship on Samrong Canal as well as local fishing gears. 22 International Journal of Asian History Culture and Tradition Vol 3, No.2, pp. 21-29, August 2016 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) Lotus Throwing (Rab Bua) Festival The Lotus Throwing Festival’s roots are thought to have been sewn by the many Mon public who settled in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok, after fleeing their war-torn homeland in what’s now southern Burma during the 1700s. In the old days, Bang Phli residents received festival-goers by offering them the freshly picked lotuses that thrived in the area. Rab means ―to receive‖, though the festival has also become known as Yon Bua, or ―Throw Lotus‖, for obvious reasons. In front of Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai along the Samrong Canal in Bang Phli district, the festival still takes venue in a frenzy of lotus tossing each year. Advertising environments of Rab Bua Boat Invitation Lotus on water Festival Activities and Mass of Public who were participated in surrounding the canal in front of Bang Yai Nai Temple Luang Pho Toh sat on the boat which cover with the million lotus Sampling one of flowers activities Figure 2. The environment activities of the 80th Bang Phli cultural communities through Lotus Throwing (Rab Bua) festival in the Academic Year B.E. 2558 for following celebrative event Rab Bua coincides with Awk Phansa (literally: ―Out of the Rains‖), a Thai holiday marking the time when monastics are free to travel again after spending the monsoon months in study and meditation. Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai houses Luang Phor Toh, a sacred Buddha image that’s said to have miraculously floated down the Chao Phraya river centuries ago. During the festival, a replica of the image is taken for a morning cruise along the canal, symbolizing the re-emergence of the monastic community after the rains. Three days of festivities includes folk theatre, beauty contests, a boat decorating competition, boat racing and a rowboat tug-of-war among other activities. The main event is an elaborate floating procession that gets underway early by 07:00 — on the final day and features intricately decorated wooden boats rowed by local public in traditional Thai costumes. Thick 23 International Journal of Asian History Culture and Tradition Vol 3, No.2, pp. 21-29, August 2016 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) crowds throw lotuses at all of the boats, but everyone makes sure to have a handful ready as the one carrying Luang Phor Toh gets close. Historical Rab Bau festival was begun with a sacred Buddha image that it was built up from the public who have taken settlement at the Bang Phli agricultural field were developed at the three canal intersections, namely, Salode, Choud Rak Koa, and Lad Kra Bang canals. Relationships between public livelihood and their water canal are gotten of their careers with on a boat and separated to their vocational agriculture. In this discovery, a group of Mon was evidenced at the northern watershed from Paladphieng to Bang Keaw Noi and Mai intersection canals. After they was going on transplant rice seedlings rice in May – September, successfully, these agriculturists would move back to Prapadaeng village and moved to settlement at along Lad Kra Pang canal bank in short rainy season. Public Faithful on Luang Phor Toh The faithful nudge and stretch to grab as many lotuses as they can from centrally located flower bins. Even after living in tightly packed Bangkok for a few years, this was one of the most crowded scenes having experienced. Expect a fair bit of good-natured jostling. When Luang Phor Toh is finally within striking distance, the scene resembles a small, happy riot where lotuses fly rather than tear gas. The crowd pulses closer to the canal. A few public take an unexpected dip. Hundreds of lotuses are heaved into the air. As the golden Buddha approaches, the revelers pause to hold lotuses up to their foreheads while making a wish or prayer. It’s believed that if your lotus lands on Luang Phor Toh’s lap, your wish are bound to come true.